Frequently asked questions about golden monkey habituation experience; Golden monkey habituation is a process where the wild golden monkeys are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Golden monkey habituation experience takes a period of about 2 to 3 years to be complete and it involves a team of researchers, scientists, park guides, park rangers and trackers. There are various questions asked by tourists planning to go on a golden monkey habituation safari and this article will highlight most of the frequently asked questions about golden monkey habituation experience and their answers

Where to do golden monkey habituation experience

Golden monkey habituation experience is only done in Mgahinga gorilla national park which is located in south western part of Uganda in Kisoro district. The national park also offers golden monkey trekking which can as well be done in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

How much is a golden monkey habituation permit?

Golden monkey habituation permits in Mgahinga gorilla national park cost 100 USD per person for foreign non residents, 80 USD per person for foreign residents and 100,000 UGX per person for East African citizens. The golden monkey habituation price however excludes park entrance fee which costs 40 USD per person for foreign non residents, 30 USD per person for foreign residents and 20,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.

How to book golden monkey habituation permits

Golden monkey habituation permits can be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to engage in golden monkey trekking. After contacting us we will check for permit availability from Uganda Wildlife Authority on your preferred dates and if there are permit available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once the payment has been made, we will be able to purchase the golden monkey habituation permit on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.

How long is golden monkey habituation experience

Golden habituation experience takes a whole day as it starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectation at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle with park rangers and an experienced park guide in search of the golden monkeys and once found, you will be allowed to spend four hours with them in their natural habitat where you will be able to learn and monitor their behaviours, lifestyle, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, playing, grooming young ones, take photos and record videos.

What to pack for golden monkey habituation experience?

There are a number of essential items that you should pack for your golden monkey habituation experience including hiking shoes, insect repellent, long sleeved shirt and trouser, garden gloves, waterproof rain jacket, long socks, energy snacks and drinking water, walking stick, warm sweater, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, face masks, a hat and sunglasses, back pack among others.

Other activities to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park offers other interesting activities that you can engage in apart from golden monkey trekking including golden monkey trekking where you will be able to spend one hour with the golden monkeys, gorilla trekking where you will be able to spend time with the mountain gorillas, bird watching where you will be able to spot different bird species, guided nature walks where you will get up-close and personal with wildlife species, batwa cultural experience where you will  interact with the batwa people, mountain climbing where you will be able to climb the three volcanic mountains that is Mount Muhavura, Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga.

How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in south western park of Uganda and can be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive.

You can as well access Mgahinga gorilla national park from Kigali Rwanda where you will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to the park headquarters via cyanika border in Kisoro or katuna border in Kabale which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.

Where to stay during your golden monkey habituation safari

Mgahinga gorilla national park has a number of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your golden monkey habituation safari. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Lake Chahafi Resort, Mutanda Lake Resort, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, Ichumbi Hotel Kisoro, Travellers Rest Hotel, Mucha Hotel, 3way Gorilla Resort, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Mubano Hotel, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Ntebeko Homestay among others.

For more information about the frequently asked questions about the golden monkey habituation experience, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris.